Pleasing Polyhedral Pod
More of a studio or backyard “escape pod” than a mini-house, Manuel Villa’s work of garden geometry is a touch of coziness in a get-away.
For those who want a home away from home, but on a budget, consider the “Habitable Polyhedron”, a small geometric pod that’s a small private getaway from domestic life. The project was built for clients with young children as a secondary, “doll-house” structure situated adjacent to their suburban home just outside of Bogota. Tucked away in a garden several yards away from the main house, the shed offers a cozy retreat where the family can relax together or separately, with space to take tea, read, draw, or just doze off.
Designed by Colombian architects Manuel Villa and Alberto González Sepúlveda, the structure consists of a wood frame configured into what the pair describe as a “truncated cubic-octahedron”–a series of octagonal panels connected by squares and aggregated in a sphere-like volume. The structure is wrapped in a layer of shingles stained black which lends it the appearance of a large dark orb. The glass facade breaks with the geometric pattern to open up the shrouded interior to the sunlight and landscape of suburban splendor (“sculpted” trees, manicured lawn, pebble “terrain”) that lies beyond.
